Magazine for a reel

ABSTRACT

A magazine, adapted to hold a reel or the like on which a web material can be stored in roll form, has a housing comprising two separable housing portions for receiving the reel therebetween. One of the housing portions includes a spindle or other device for mounting the reel for rotation within the magazine. The other of the housing portions includes a friction member, such as a compressible pad, which is supported for rotation in firm contact with a reel rotatably mounted in the magazine. Rotation of the friction member manually or otherwise, results in rotation of the mounted reel.

United States Patent 1191 1111 3,820,738 Collins 1 1 June 28, 1974 MAGAZINE FOR A REEL 3,322,366 5/1967 Hayden 242/7l.1 [75] Inventor: Wayne L Collins, Rochester NY $620,475 11/1971 Penn 242/197 [73] Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company, Primary Examiner-Leonard D. Christian I Rochester, N.Y. Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Roger A. Fields [22 Filed: May 18, 1973 Appl. No.: 361,759

[5 7] ABSTRACT A magazine, adapted to hold a reel or the like on which a web material can be stored in roll form, has a housing comprising two separable housing portions for receiving the reel therebetween. One of the housing portions includes a spindle or other device for mounting the reel for rotation within the magazine. The other of the housing portions includes a friction member, such as a compressible pad, which is supported for rotation in firm contact with a reel rotatably mounted in the magazine. Rotation of the friction member manually or otherwise, results in rotation of the mounted reel.

10 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDmzs 1974 SHEET 1 [IF 2 FIG.|

, 1 MAGAZINE FOR A REEL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a magazine for holding a reel or the like on which a web material, such as photographic film, can be stored in roll form. More particularly, the invention relates to a magazine including means for rotating a reel to take-up or pay-out a web material.

2. Description of the Prior Art Magazines adapted to contain a reel on which a web material can be stored in roll form are well known. Such a magazine may include two housing half-portions which are separable to permit access to the magazine interior for selective insertion and removal of the. reel. Moreover, the magazine may include a rotatably supported spindle on which a reel can be mounted for rotation within the magazine. To effect rotation of the spin dle and a reel mounted thereon, the spindle is driven by some means located exteriorly of the magazine. An example of this kind of magazine is shown in US. Pat. No. 872,970 which was patented Dec. 3, 1907 and in which there is disclosed a pulley and belt arrangement connecting the spindle and a handle for manually rotating the spindle.

In many instances, such as in the magazine disclosed in the foregoing patent, the spindle carries a key which is received in a recess formed in a hub of the reel to couple the spindle and the reel for synchronous rotation. This feature contributes to the cost of manufacturing the magazine since the relative location of the key on the spindle and the recess on the reel hub, and the specific dimensions of the key and the recess, are critical to the extent of insuring that the key is receivable in the recess. Furthermore, in placing the reel on the spindle, the recess must be aligned with the key in order to couple the reel and the spindle. Therefore, difficulty may be encountered in coupling the reel and the spindle under darkroom conditions required where the web material stored on the reel is light-sensitive.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a magazine for holding a reel or the like, which is improved so as to avoid the difficulties existing in those previously known magazines generally described above.

. It is another object of the present invention to provide a magazine for holding a reel or the like, which can be easily mass-produced and which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a magazine for holding a reel or the like, which uses means other than a spindle for driving the reel in a rotational manner.

In accordance with the present invention there is described, in detail hereinafter, a magazine for holding a reel or the like on which a web material, such as photographic film, can be stored in roll form. The magazine has a housing which comprises two housing portions for containing the reel therebetween. One of the housing portions includes means for mounting the reel for rotation within the magazine. The other of the housing portions includes a friction member, such as a compressible pad, which is supported for rotation in firm contact with a reel rotatably mounted in the magazine. Rotation of the friction member, pressing against the mounted reel, effects rotation of such reel for taking-up or paying-out the web material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above-mentioned and other features and objects of the present invention and the manner of obtaining them will become more apparent by reference to the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of such invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side perspective view. of a'magazine in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing such magazine in an open state for receiving a reel on which a web material is wound;

FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of the magazine, showing such magazine in a closed state with the web material extending outwardly from a web passage opening in the magazine;

FIG. 3 is a section view of the magazine as viewed along the line 3-3 in FIG. 2, showing the manner in which the reel is supported for rotation within such magazine; and

FIG. 4 is a side section view of a portion of the magazine which includes guide rollers and light baffles that cooperate to form a torturous web path defining a light trap adjacent the web passage opening in the magazine.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings and in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a magazine generally indicated by the reference number I and forming a housing or shell which comprises first and second complementary, separable, housing half-portions 2 and 3. The first and second housing portions 2 and 3 are connected by a flexible living" hinge 4 for pivotal movement therebetween, to selectively open and close the magazine 1. To secure the first and second housing portions 2 and 3 together, in a closed state as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a peripheral wall 5 of the first housing portion is received interiorly of, and snugly against, a peripheral wall 6 of the second housing portion. These walls 5 and 6 are best viewed in FIG. I. The magazine 1, in an open state as shown in FIG. 1, is adapted to receive a reel 7 in the first housing portion 2. Therefore, the first housing portion 2 serves as a receptacle for the reel 7, and the second housing portion 3 serves as a cover or lid to complete an enclosure for the reel.

The reel 7 is of a known variety, including an interior core or hub member 8 in which an elongate opening 9 is formed for accepting a spindle, and including an exterior core or hub member 10 about which a web material W can be wound for storage in roll form on the reel. As is customary, the reel 7 is further provided with oppositely spaced flange members 11 and 12 which radially project outwardly from the exterior core member 10 to edgewise support the convolutions of web material W wound about such core member (see FIGS. 1 and 3).

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a spindle 13 projects in fixed stationary relation from the center of a disc-like surface 14 of the first housing portion 2 (and may be integrally formed therewith). The spindle l3 loosely fits part way into the opening 9' in the interior core member 8 of the reel 7 in order to mount the reel for rotation about a given axis within the magazine 1. When the reel 7 is mounted on the spindle 13, a friction disc 16, such as a compressible rubber pad, can be located in firm contact with the reel core 8. This contact between the friction disc 16 and the reel core 8 occurs during the time that the magazine 1 is closed, as shown in FIG. 3. A bearing aperture 17 is formed in the second housingportion 3, at a central piece 18 thereof, and is concentrically arranged about the given axis 15 during the time that the magazine 1 is closed. A shaft 19 is secured to the friction disc 16 and is rotatably disposed within the bearing aperture 17. Accordingly, rotation of the shaft 19 about the given axis 15, effects synchronous rotation of the friction disc 16 about the same axis and in contact with the reel 7 mounted on the spindle 13, resulting in rotation of the mounted reel about the given axis. During such rotation of the reel 7, the reel flanges 11 and 12 are spaced respectively from a disc-like surface 20 of the second housing portion 3 and the disc-like surface 14 of the first housing portion 2 (see FIG. 3). To achieve this spacing, a boss 21 and the friction disc 16 support opposite ends of the reel core 8 in the manner shown in FIG. 3. A handle 22, encircled by an annular rib 23 on the second housing portion 3, is connected to the shaft 19 to facilitate manual rotation of the mounted reel in either a web take-up direction, for winding the web material W onto such reel, or a web pay-out direction, for unwinding the web material from such reel. Of course, the handle 22 can be driven by other means, such as a motor, rather than manually.

As shown in F IGS. l and 4, the first and second housing portions 2 and 3 include respective lip-like extensions 24 and 25 provided with cut away areas 26 and 27 (see FIG. 1) which define a web ingress/egress opening 28 (see H65. 2 and 4) in response to closing the magazine 1. Moreover, during the time that the magazine 1 is closed, three guide rollers 29, 30 and 31 and a guide track 32, located on the lip extension 24, define a, generally sinusoidal, web advancement path for guiding the web material W to and from the reel 7 mounted on the spindle 13. The guide track 32 cooperates with three light baffles-33, 34 and 35, located on the lip extension 25, to form a labyrinth light trap. This light trap serves to prevent ambiant light from entering the magazine interior. Of course, the light trap just described need not be included in the magazine 1 in instances where the web material on the mounted reel is not light-sensitive.

The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A magazine for holding a reel or the like, saidmagazine comprising:

a housing having first and second housing portions for containing a reel therebetween; means disposed on said first housing portion for mounting a reel for rotation within said housing;

a friction member; and

means disposed on said second housing portion and supporting said friction member for rotation in contact with a reel which is rotatably mounted within said housing.

2. A magazine as recited in claim 1, wherein said reel mounting means includes a spindle projecting in fixed stationary relation from said first housing portion.

3. A magazine as recited in claim 2, wherein said friction member is a friction disc. I

4. A magazine as recited in claim 1, wherein said reel mounting means includes a spindle projecting from said first housing portion, wherein said friction member is a friction disc, and wherein said friction member supporting means includes means defining a bearing aperture in said second housing portion and a shaft con nected to said friction disc and rotatable within said bearing aperture.

5. A magazine for holding a reel or the like, said magazine comprising:

a housing having first and second housing portions for containing a reel therebetween;

means disposed on said first housing portion for mounting a reel for rotation about a given axis within said housing;

a friction member; and

means disposed on said second housing portion and supporting said friction member for rotation about the given axis and in contact with a reel which is rotatably mounted within said housing.

6. A magazine as recited in claim 5, wherein said first and second housing portions are separable to open said magazine and include cooperating means for securing said housing portions together in response to closing said magazine.

7. A magazine as recited in claim 5, adapted for use with a reel is of the kind having a hub member provided with opposite ends, and wherein said friction member supporting means supports said friction member for rotation in contact with one of the opposite ends of a hub member of a reel which is rotatably mounted within said housing.

8. A magazine for holding a reel or the like, said magazine comprising:

a housing having first and second, separable, housing sections for receiving a reel therebetween;

a spindle projecting in fixed stationary relation from said first housing portion, for mounting a reel for rotation about a given axis within said housing;

a friction disc located in contact with a reel which is mounted on said spindle;

means defining a bearing aperture in said second housing portion and concentrically arranged about the given axis; and

a shaft connected to said friction disc and rotatable within said bearing aperture, for rotating said friction disc in contact with the mounted reel.

9. A magazine as recited in claim 8, wherein said friction disc includes a friction pad constructed of a compressible material.

10. A magazine as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

a handle disposed on said second housing portion and connected to said shaft for rotating said shaft and said friction pad. 

1. A magazine for holding a reel or the like, said magazine comprising: a housing having first and second housing portions for containing a reel therebetween; means disposed on said first housing portion for mounting a reel for rotation within said housing; a friction member; and means disposed on said second housing portion and supporting said friction member for rotation in contact with a reel which is rotatably mounted within said housing.
 2. A magazine as recited in claim 1, wherein said reel mounting means includes a spindle projecting in fixed stationary relation from said first housing portion.
 3. A magazine as recited in claim 2, wherein said friction member is a friction disc.
 4. A magazine as recited in claim 1, wherein said reel mounting means includes a spindle projecting from said first housing portion, wherein said friction member is a friction disc, and wherein said friction member supporting means includes means defining a bearing aperture in said second housing portion and a shaft connected to said friction disc and rotatable within said bearing aperture.
 5. A magazine for holding a reel or the like, said magazine comprising: a housing having first and second housing portions for containing a reel therebetween; means disposed on said first housing portion for mounting a reel for rotation about a given axis within said housing; a friction member; and means disposed on said second housing portion and supporting said friction member for rotation about the given axis and in contact with a reel which is rotatably mounted within said housing.
 6. A magazine as recited in claim 5, wherein said first and second housing portions are separable to open said magazine and include cooperating means for securing said housing portions together in response to closing said magazine.
 7. A magazine as recited in claim 5, adapted for use with a reel is of the kind having a hub member provided with opposite ends, and wherein said friction member supporting means supports said friction member for rotation in contact with one of the opposite ends of a hub member of a reel which is rotatably mounted within said housing.
 8. A magazine for holding a reel or the like, said magazine comprising: a housing having first and second, separable, housing sections for receiving a reel therebetween; a spindle projecting in fixed stationary relation from said first housing portion, for mounting a reel for rotation about a given axis within said housing; a friction disc located in contact with a reel which is mounted on said spindle; means defining a bearing aperture in said second housing portion and concentrically arranged about the given axis; and a shaft connected to said friction disc and rotatable within said bearing aperture, for rotating said friction disc in contact with the mounted reel.
 9. A magazine as recited in claim 8, wherein said friction disc includes a friction pad constructed of a compressible material.
 10. A magazine as recited in claim 8, further comprising: a handle disposed on said second housing portion and connected to said shaft for rotating said shaft and said friction pad. 